


Surf

by Keenir



Category: Dresden Files - All Media Types, Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Gen, Pele, Skinwalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-30
Updated: 2010-12-30
Packaged: 2017-10-14 06:05:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/146179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keenir/pseuds/Keenir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During his world tour, Harry Dresden gets a job - and he meets Kono.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Surf

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place a little over five years before either series. That means Harry’s in the middle of his world tour, Anna Murphy is four years old, the Archive is two years old, and Kono’s legs are perfectly fine.
> 
> Spoilers for “Pilot” (Hawaii Five-0 TV); "what about bob" (Dresden Files TV), "summer knight" (book)

**Five Years, Four Months Ago:**

 **The Big Island, Hawaii:**

“Mr. Morningway?”

“Dresden,” I say. That’s my name. Always has been. Even now, right here in this hotel lobby, me sipping a cola with an umbrella. You ask me, the beverage people have too much time on their hands.

The kid looks uncomfortable, so I stand up. “You need anything?”

He nods. “I’m to get you to come with… this way. With me. Please?”

“Any particular reason?” I ask.

“Those are my orders.”

Never hurts to know. “Who gave them?”

“My boss. Please, she wants to talk with you.”

“Who’s your boss?” I ask. I didn’t do anything to piss off anybody here…or in Europe, Asia, South America…

“A lord of the Court. This Court.”

“You may’ve noticed, I’m not from around here,” I say. “So I really don’t know what court you’re talking about.” If he’s not referring to the justice department - and he hasn’t flashed a badge or produced a summons, so I’ll assume he’s not - and because the White Council doesn’t like being called a court, then that leaves the vampiric Courts and the fae Courts. Red Court, Black Court, White Court; Winter Court, Summer Court. A vampire lord would hopefully have more restraint about tearing my throat out and drinking me dry in public than his minions might. A fae lord tends to look like the sort of ultimate specimen of humanity that models would give their firstborns to look like, and photographers would sell their souls to photograph - and they might get their wish.

“Please,” the kid pleads with me. I sigh and motion for him to lead the way. He leads me out of the hotel grounds to one of those little beachside eatery spots. Sunny. Too much UV for a vampire. Unless they’ve got some sort of protection for their higher-ups.

I see two women who could easily fit the description of a fae lord… and this guy takes me to the less likely of the two.

Burning red lipstick. Hair blacker than night or magic. Statuesque would be an understatement. Wearing a black dress with a scarlet blouse. Nothing clashes with that flawless skin of hers. Sipping a…I want to say a mai tai, but I’m not sure. There’s what looks like a wooden cane leaning against her table, so maybe she’s not as perfect as I thought.

Though…why would a lord of one of the Courts be anything less than 100% ?

I sit down where I’m directed to, and the kid goes away faster than most flunkies and errand boys might. “You rang?” I asked her, trying to look more relaxed than I feel.

“I see the resemblance,” she says. “You look like your father.”

“Were you a fan?” I ask. Stranger things have happened.

“I was. I arranged for the Astounding Dresden to give a show on Lanai. You had not been born at the time. I would have remembered you.”

“Likewise, I’m sure,” I say. “You got a name?” And only once the words are past my lips, do I recall Bob’s warning about pressing powerful beings for their true name - they don’t part with things like that, not lightly and not easily.

But she just smiles, showing perfect white teeth. “Pele,” she says.

Pele, Pele, why is that name so fami- Aw hells bells. “What does a volcano goddess want with little ol’ me?” I ask. So, what do you head up, the Island Court or the Volcano Court?

“I require your services,” Pele says. “I will hire you to bring to a finish a nagging problem I have.”

“Lady, I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I don’t do contract work,” I say, positive I’m going to get struck by lightning or lava or whatnot. “Besides, I’m not that powerful.”

“Good,” she says. “This matter requires a minimum of fuss, and magic in a public space has never been popular on these coasts.” It sounds like she’s making a joke, but bedammed if I know what the punch line was. “Though you are of the Morningway family, you are a Dresden. Therefore, you may name your price.” She gives me a good hard look - avoiding my eyes, and I return the favor - and tells me, “I can say it thrice if you prefer.”

If a fae or anything tied to the Courts says something three times, they are bound to carry out whatever they said. And when I say bound, I mean the deepest sort of obligation that there’s no way out of, no matter how bad they want out.

“Can I name my price when you tell me what the job is?” I ask. Harry Dresden, magical mercenary. Yeah, not something I want to put on business cards.

“Acceptable.”

“Quick question,” I add. She looks at me with the patience you expect of mountains and Buddhas. “Why me? Why not get your hands dirty?”

Another smile. Am I really that amusing? “My problem occurs in a place presently under dispute between myself and another. Additionally, I am enabling a transition within the ranks of those who serve me.”

“Which means what in English?”

No answer. Just a stony stare.

“Alright, what’s the job?” I ask.

 ***.*.***

Two hours later, and I’m already staking out a nice piece of beach, keeping an eye on one Vince Kelby like Pele asked. Got to find out how he’s smuggling local fish. Right now, he’s out with the surfers at least twenty feet from shore.

I got the impression Pele really hates this guy. To be honest, even with that, I’m kind of surprised she agreed to the first price I named. Never even tried to bargain me down. Times like this, make me wish I could call up Bob and ask him if Hawaii has any super powerful fish Kelby may have gotten ahold of.

And, watching people on those thin boards riding the waves, I have a bad feeling I’m going to have to get in the water. It isn’t that I don’t like the water…its more the fact I don’t like getting into situations where I may not be able to breathe. Chalk it up to family history and leave it at that.

 *****

I’ve stripped down to swim trunks and a shirt, and I’m carrying a surfboard into the water.

And the sea promptly spits me back out again. I head back in for the next wave, and get the same reaction.

Then a shadow falls across me as I’m lying there in the sand.

“Can I help you?” I ask without looking away from the water where Kelby is swimming away from shore. So much for my plan.

“Need a hand?”

I look up. Hey, I know you…it’s the other one of the two women I thought were that kid’s boss. “Yeah, this is harder than it looked.”

She’s definitely amused. “I suppose so,” she says, trying not to laugh. “So, need a hand? Or do you have a badge?”

I take it she saw me keeping an eye on… “I’m Harry Dresden. I was hired to find out what he’s up to.”

She nods. “I’m Kono. Can I help?”

“Sure,” I say. Pele said to keep magic to a minimum. I’m assuming she would have mentioned if the guy could do magic. Then again, half-truths are something the fae do extremely well. “You know anything about Vince Kelby? He’s that guy,” motioning with my head - never with the hands, that was something Bob and Dad agreed on, because the hands gives it away that you’re looking at him.

“Not much,” Kono says. “He’s on the arrogant side, but, hey, he’s a tourist,” like that explains everything. Maybe it does. “I can help you ride your board out that far,” she offers. Then she frowns, and before I can ask about it, she says, “But he’s not supposed to be out that far.”

“I think we might be needing a boat,” I say. And, because I read the brochures, I ask, “This isn’t jellyfish season, is it?”

“No, but it looks like Delby’s heading for where sharks gather to be seen by tourists."

 *****

Once we’re in the boat, it doesn’t take long to catch up to Delpy. Soon as we pull up beside him, though, Delpy takes one look at us and he flips himself and his surfboard over, and then he lets go.

Boat parked out here, we dive in after him, Kono more enthusiastic about it than me. Looks like a good thing I haven’t changed into my regular clothes yet.

All the sharks are keeping their distance from the three of us. But when we’re closing in on Kelby - who doesn’t swim very well, I notice, even compared to me - a shark breaks ranks and approaches us, shoving another shark our way. Kelby drops the smuggle-filled baggie.

The first shark’s pushing the other one towards Kelby, who reaches out a hand and -

As soon as he touches the second shark, Kelby collapses in on himself. Nothing left to him but an empty skin.

And there’s three sharks now - two alive and moving, and a skinned one sinking to the bottom. Not bleeding, not even a drop. Hells bells, they’re _Skinwalkers._

The two living sharks open their mouths more than I’m sure real sharks could, and gobble down the third one.

The shark Kelby touched, that one turns to look at me, gnashes its pointy teeth, and swims away with its compatriot.

I drift there a moment before I try to give chase - hey, miracles happen, right? But Kono stops me and points to the surface. So up we go.

“He’s gone,” Kono said. Did she see Kelby turn into an empty skin?

“Yeah,” I say.

“But he’s got to go home sooner or later,” she adds.

“He’s gone,” Kono said. Did she see Kelby turn into an empty skin?

“Yeah,” I say.

 ***.*.**   
__

_Whilst Harry and Kono were going inland to check out Delby’s apartment, Delby and his native confederate were heading out to sea, strong tails driving them at speed into open ocean._

Where’s the ship? _Delby wondered._ It should be here already, ready for us to hand over the creatures. __

 _Darkness rose from the depths, ensnaring the smuggling duo in its inky envelopings. This was a terror with neither skin nor body._

 _When the pair were securely dead, they were hauled by the Darkness to the ocean bottom where they were shredded into harmlessness. Only then did the Darkness leave them for others to eat._

 ***.*.**

“Aloha, congratulations,” Chin said, taking a seat at the table me and Kono are at. “Forensics is having a field day in Delby’s place, and we’ve already found a dozen endangered species ready to be smuggled off the island. How did you say you found it?”

“I told you,” Kono says.

“Right, a P.I.”

“Harry Dresden, at your service,” I say, just in case I was accidentally invisible. Bob used to tell me it was possible to have that happen and not be aware of it.

I shake Chin’s hand. “Nice to meet you,” he tells me. “So who hired you to track Delby?”

“I’m afraid that’s confidential, Detective Kelly.” That and you wouldn’t believe me.

He nods. “Next time you talk to your client, let them know we’d love their contributions to prosecuting Delby.”

“I’ll pass that along,” I agree.

“Question,” Chin says. “Not about the case.”

“Okay,” I say.

“You any relation to the Astounding Dresden?”

I nod. “He was my dad.”

“He was a great guy,” Chin says. “I’m sorry to hear he passed away.”

“Thanks,” I say.

“Now, if the two of you will excuse me, I need to get back to work,” Chin says. Kono and I say our byes to him.

“Thanks,” Kono tells me when its just the two of us out here.

“For what?” I ask, positive I’m missing something. Bob says I can be thick sometimes, especially around women. I don’t know what he’s talking about.

“This,” Kono says. “I had fun.”

“Yeah, me too,” I agree.

“That is good to hear,” Pele says, coming up to our table. “You have my thanks, Mr. Dresden, on a job well done.” She hands each of us a piece of wood the size of a chess piece, laying it to rest on our palms. “For if either of you require a reference or a favor.” Reference? Like if I’m getting a job? I don’t follow.

Kono looks at the scrap of wood resting on her palm, and up at Pele. “What?”

Next, Pele takes a money-stuffed envelope out of her shirt pocket - not that said shirt was less than molded to her figure, so I’m going to hazard a guess that she was using magic to hold the cash - and hands it to me. “The remainder of your payment, as agreed. To be divided among your associates as you agree. Good day, the both of you,” and leaves us alone.

“Weird,” Kono says.

“You don’t know the half of it,” I agree.

“Mr. Dresden?” the matre’d asks me. Good grief, its like there’s a line.

“Yeah?” I ask as Kono takes a step back.

“There’s a phone call for you.”

Kono nods at me to go, take the call.

I get up and head for the lobby and the phone.

Kono calls after me, “But what about -?”

“Keep it,” I tell her. I’m part of the Morningway family - I’m already rich.

She grins. “I owe you one,” Kono says.

 *****

“Harry?”

“Hey, Uncle Justin,” I say into the receiver. “How’s everything over there?”

“Well enough, Harry. You remember I told you the High Council would want to see you?”

“Make sure I pass muster, yeah, I remember,” I say, nodding.

“I trust you recall how to get here within the hour. If not, I can have someone pick you up.”

“I got it. But thanks. I’ll be right there. Just have to say good-bye first.” I don’t like goodbyes. Never did. Still don’t.

 *******************************************************

 **Present Day:**

 **Chicago:**

I could’ve stayed. Kept in Hawaii. Helped people there, like I do here. Good things.

On the other hand, that means Uncle Justin would still be alive.


End file.
